Page 44 of The Dragon Shifters' Enemy
“Good.I will keep you informed,” Valerius said as he pressed End to finish the call.
Caden studied his beautiful face.There was a tightness around his eyes and mouth.His jaw was set and his shoulders erect and back.Valerius had feared that the Behemoth was near.He had been right and Caden wrong.But it seemed so insane that the Behemoth would dare come when they were all gathered together!
“Sit back down.Rest your stomach,” Valerius said as he gracefully gestured to the table.
Caden gratefully sank down again in his chair. Not that he regretted the feast.He actually found himself regretting not having room for more.But then he thought of Landry.His stomach tied itself into even knots then and he couldn’t imagine eating anything ever again.For a moment, when Chione had said Landry’s name, he’d forgotten about the fact that shemightbe a traitor.
But she wouldn’t call for help from Chione if that was the case!Caden told himself.
“You and Iolaire were right about the Behemoth,” Caden said.“It’s close.”
“We knowLandryis--orwas--close.We do not know if the Behemoth is,” Valerius corrected.
That was true, and yet Caden felt that wherever his good--former good?--friend was, she was near the Behemoth.
Those last words.Wall and death?What do they mean?
Caden shivered even though he wasn’t cold.
“It will be all right, Caden,” Valerius assured him.“You will not be going anywhere near that beast.”
“But I could be of help!”Caden perked up.
Iolaire, too, rustled its wings even as Raziel attempted to calm the White Dragon Spirit with a Dragon-like purr and nuzzle.
“You are brave and--”
“I know I’m small,” Caden said with a wave of his hand.“And inexperienced at Dragon fighting,” he quickly added when he saw Valerius’ mouth open again.“But that didn’t stop me from shifting Illarion, now did it? Imagine I could do that to the Behemoth?Pretty useful, yeah?”
Valerius shut his mouth and pursed his lips.“Point taken.Although, that is assuming the Behemoth has a human form to be shifted into.”
“Or forms!”Caden pointed out.He bit his lower lip as his right leg continued to bounce.“I was thinking.”
“Yes?”Valerius lifted an eyebrow.
He looked quite serious and not as if he were simply humoring Caden, though Caden realized that humoring him would be understandable in some ways.
“What if all the Dragon Spirits each have a human form, but then when they shift, due to the Behemoth’s control over those Spirits, they all become one giant Hydra?”Caden suggested.
Valerius tapped his chin, considering this.“I suppose that could be possible.”
“I was just thinking that if you hadallthe Dragon Spirits inside of you, it’d be like having multiple personalities.”Caden shrugged.“Not the easiest of things to hide.”
“Or perhaps all of the Dragon Spirits--other than Behemoth--are so ensorcelled that they cannot express themselves,” Valerius suggested.
That caused Caden to shudder again.“That would beawful.”He looked over at Iolaire and Raziel.“Was that what it was like, Iolaire?”
Nightmare.Every moment was a dark dream, Iolaire stated.
A third shudder went through Caden and that had Valerius reaching over and rubbing his shoulder.
“That won’t happen to Iolaire again, Caden.Nor to any other Dragon Spirit.Raziel and I will not allow it,” Valerius said simply and Caden believed him.
The loving way that Iolaire gazed at Valerius and then Raziel told him that Iolaire believed it, too, and was grateful for the support.
“Raziel, how did the Dragons stop the Behemoth before?”Caden asked the Black Dragon Spirit.
Raziel lifted its massive head and spread its wings until it appeared like darkness personified with just its red glowing eyes.And then in that darkness, Caden could see Dragons battling in a wasteland of fog and shadows and in the center was the Hydra known as the Behemoth.
